


May the Best Man Never Win

by AvixiLynn91



Category: Adam (2009), Charlie Countryman (2013), Hannibal (TV), Spacedogs - Fandom
Genre: Adam Raki Loves Nigel (Charlie Countryman), Alpha Darko, Alpha Nigel (Charlie Countryman), Alpha/Omega, Anal Play, Anal Sex, Awkward Flirting, Biting, Bottom Adam, Competition, Dominance, Espionage, Heat Suppressants, M/M, Matchmaker Will, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Multi, Nigel (Charlie Countryman) Loves Adam Raki, Nipple Licking, Omega Adam, Online Dating, Oral Sex, References to Drugs, Rough Kissing, Rough Sex, Seduction, Sexual Tension, Spanking, These boys are crazy, Top Nigel (Charlie Countryman), Violence, Will is Adam's cousin, Will's the best cousin ever, Winston - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-23
Updated: 2017-11-01
Packaged: 2018-12-05 22:07:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11587131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvixiLynn91/pseuds/AvixiLynn91
Summary: Nigel and Darko are best friends working as mercenaries and spies. Their friendship and loyalty to each other is soon tested when they both fall for the same omega: Adam Raki.





	1. The Frenchman and the Chinaman

**Author's Note:**

> *Loosely based off the movie "This Means War"!!!!*

**_May the Best Man Never Win_ **

To call them brothers-in-arms was a bit of an understatement; as Nigel Ibanescu and Darko were infinitely closer and far more related in spirit. They had been working together for the same man: Dominique Marques for a little over a decade, and had held each other throughout the most violent, war-like upheavals and triumphed in unison after any battle.

The Frenchman had made a bet that one would best the other in skill and strength, for he knew he had taken in two of the most violent and domineering alphas ever known to him. Alphas were typically known to fight each other to death, sometimes for the attention and breeding rights of an omega, but also, they fought sometimes to establish territory, dominance, and sometimes just because they felt like it. Dominique was proud of his two lead alphas, for they had never let him down and were a prime example to be followed for the rest of his men, but he initially had wondered who was the better alpha. He always thought it would turn out to be Nigel. However, for the first time in his life, he had been proven wrong; as both men had successfully lead the raid he had instructed and set them out to do against a business competitor.

Dominique wasn’t exactly a “law-abiding” citizen; he had paid under the table plenty of judges and lawyers to keep his nose and record clean while he ran underground drug trade, smuggling, casinos, and prostitution services all over Europe as well as extending branches to the USA.

The business had been growing well, with more than enough money flowing back into his greedy hands, when news had been brought to him of a larger threat. Chinese war veteran Chen Lin had been snuffing out his men already deployed in the USA, in particular Las Vegas, at an alarmingly rapid rate. If the Frenchman let him continue, by this time next week, he’d definitely be out of business.

Dominique knew he had little time to react, so he called in his two best men down to his office one late night.

Nigel and Darko sat before him in their black suits and ties, cigarettes in their hands, almost appearing as if they were identical twins.

Dominique simply sat for many long minutes, unsure of how to approach the topic. He knew that immediate disclosure would likely mean he would seem as if he were incompetent and unable to keep small threats at bay, but concealing the matter would also likely enable him to lose the fear and respect from his two most loyally dedicated handymen.

Both Nigel and Darko were trained in self-defense, and were beyond experts when it came to espionage and tracking, which was why Dominique knew he couldn’t fuck with either of them. If he tried swaying Nigel a certain way, he was almost sure to bring Darko with him. Nigel, being the older and more experienced alpha, was something of a brother figure to Darko, and Dominique knew it was futile to try and convince the younger alpha differently. So he accepted them both as they were, allowing them to work together often.

The round, balding Frenchman sighed, peering around his dimly lit office and signaled for two of his bodyguards to exit and close the doors behind them. Once they had left the room, he sat back in his office chair and tapped his fingers on his desk slowly.

Nigel was the first to speak, and he spoke in his thick-accented Romanian voice, which had seduced plenty of women and men in his time spent with Dominique.

“What’s the problem?”

Dominique laughed. How he admired Nigel’s brute brand of forwardness.

Darko was much the same. Slightly younger by a few years, Darko had short dark blonde hair with cold steel blue eyes, while Nigel had longer silvery blonde hair, and a rather enchanting five-o’clock shadow, currently.

Dominique threw his hands up in the air.

“You’re going to have to deal with Chen Lin for me, boys.”

Nigel snorted and Darko chuckled, teeth biting into his lower lip slightly.

Dominique frowned, “I’m not fucking around. By this time tomorrow you will have landed from the plane to Vegas, and you have to find this little prick in Chinatown. He’s threatened to take not only my drugs now, but also the fucking weapon crates we have there at the safehouse.”

Nigel looked up quickly, eyes flashing dangerously and darkly.

“We’ll do it.”

Dominique nodded, feeling partially relieved already.

“Good.”

(*******)

“Stay close to me, Darko, and try to keep your hands off the booze…and women.”

Nigel pulled his friend away from chatting up a busty blonde by the bar once they entered the casino, looking for Chen Lin as subtly as they could.

They wore tourist-type clothing as a means to blend in, with Nigel wearing a blue shirt with little Dachshund dogs littered all over it like it was an ad for the zoo, and white dress pants, while Darko wore a black leather jacket and black jeans, slipping his sunglasses down his nose to cover his eyes.

“Have you located him already?” He asked Nigel, as the man selected a small table and they both sat down.

“Not yet.”

Minutes flew into nearly half an hour, and the pair simply sat, watching and observing as hordes of people walked in and spread out, making the sea of people larger and more complicated to sift through.

Darko nearly fell asleep a few times, his head hanging low, but each time he nearly had his eyes closed, Nigel kicked him hard beneath the table in his shins, and he growled, sitting up straighter and peering around for the Asian.

It had nearly been an hour when Nigel suddenly sat up and grabbed roughly onto Darko’s arm, shaking him slightly.

“He’s here.”

Sure enough, Chen Lin walked in with at least 10 other men at his side and behind him, chatting on his cellphone. He had long hair tied back in a ponytail, and wore a thick moustache.

Darko snorted, “So this is the freak threatening to steal the weapons and is scaring off Dominique?”

“Shh!” Nigel huffed, lowering his head but keeping his eyes targeted and trained onto Chen Lin as he made his way through the casino, his bodyguards literally shoving and pushing people out of the way and throwing murderous glares their ways if they chose to protest.

Nigel watched Chen Lin make his way to the back of the casino where he stood before another man who appeared to be American.

“What’s he doing?” Darko asked the same question Nigel had been thinking in his mind.

Both men watched as Chen Lin handed a large envelope to the man at the door, who nodded and stepped aside, opening the door for the large group.

“Move. NOW!”

Nigel jumped to his feet, and Darko followed, both men running through the massive menagerie of tourists and entertainers in the casino, heading for the door Chen Lin had exited from.

The American who had guarded the door suddenly pulled out a small handgun and pointed it at Nigel, but Nigel scoffed, not so easily intimidated by any little old weapon.

“Nice toy.” He reached up and in a second, grabbed the gun out of the man’s hand, bending the man’s hand backwards, the bone snapping like little twigs beneath his feet.

The man screamed in pain while Darko kicked the door open, and they ran out in hot pursuit of Chen Lin.

The door had opened to winding paths and alleyways, which were crowded with drunk men already passed out and cold on the ground, and a few hookers with clients.

They shoved by a man trying to snort cocaine off a hooker’s tight fishnet covered ass, when suddenly a tall Asian guard burst through from the side and slammed into Nigel, sending him tumbling backwards and onto the ground.

Darko roared and grabbed onto the back of the guard’s shirt collar, yanking him upwards.

“Nigel!”

Nigel reached into his pants pockets and withdrew a long, thick black telephone wire he had clearly cut off, and he wrapped it around the guard’s neck and began choking him.

Darko held the fighting man tightly, pulling him roughly back against his chest, as Nigel sat up and made his grip on the cord tighter and tighter, watching in predatory glee as the man’s face turned blood red, his eyes began bulging, and his hands and fingers turned white as he tried prying the cord off his neck.

“GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!” Darko roared at the hookers and their clients, and they screamed, running out of the alleyway as quickly as they could while the guard choked to death.

He coughed and wheezed his last fight for air, then his eyes went impossible wide, almost in a frozen, statue-like-state, and Darko dropped him onto the ground.

He reached a hand down and helped Nigel off the ground, pulling out a gun for himself, and then tossed another to Nigel, who caught it with a small smirk.

“I always come prepared.” Darko winked and lead the way.

They walked carefully forward, looking through the windows of parked cars and vans along the streets, but were unable to find Chen Lin anywhere. Once they had turned onto the next block, they saw nothing but deserted old offices up for sale and renovation.

“There.” Nigel’s head lifted up, sniffing the air, and his eyes locked onto the second old abandoned office.

“Are you sure?” Darko asked, holding tightly onto his weapon, shoulders pushed back.

Nigel nodded. “100% positive.”

Darko stood back a few steps while Nigel inched up to the front door of the office, the number sign worn out on the front door as paint chipped off it.

Darko watched as Nigel turned the knob and the door slowly opened with a small squeak.

They walked in, weapons raised and on guard, but found the office to be empty for the most part.

“What the fuck?” Darko lowered his weapon, and cursed loudly.

Nigel put his hand up, his ears catching onto the loading and closing and opening of car doors not too far away…

“He’s outside!”

Nigel and Darko sprung to action, tearing through the back of the office door to the parking lot.

There-as clear as daylight-stood Chen Lin with a few remaining guards, loading boxes and heavy crates into the back of a large dark loading truck.

The men immediately turned and aimed their weapons at Darko and Nigel.

“Drop it.” Chen Lin spoke, standing behind a few tall guards, loading the last crate into the truck and then closing the doors with a prideful smirk.

Nigel glared. Oh how he wanted to wipe that little smile off the Asian’s face. And he would enjoy every second of doing so, too.

Darko was the first to drop his gun, and Nigel reluctantly dropped his, too, but he left the gun closer to his feet. Luckily for him, no one noticed.

“I take it those are Dominique’s guns and drugs?” Darko asked, nodding at the back of the truck.

Chen Lin smiled even wider while a few of his guards made their way to the front doors of the truck and got in quickly.

“Yes, your employer is most generous for allowing me to take over. You can rest assured your assets are now in good hands…professional hands.”

Darko shook his head and snorted.

“I’m sorry to tell you, but they’ve been recalled. Right Nigel?”

Chen Lin stopped smirking and looked at the older alpha.

As quick as death, Nigel dropped to his feet and the guards immediately leapt out of the truck, aimed, and fired at him.

Their bullets missed him as he dove to his side and swiped the gun off the ground, bringing it up to empty his clip into the heads and chests of the guards, watching as they all shook and dropped to their knees, cold and dead.

Chen Lin froze, as if he were mentally trying to break down, piece-by-piece, what had happened in a mere few seconds. He turned and looked down at his fallen men, and then looked back up at the deadly alpha would had shot them all down.

Darko and Nigel wore identical smirks as they pointed their weapons at Chen Lin.

“I think we will be taking our items back, and if you’re surrendering, you’re no longer on our itinerary.” Nigel stood and very carefully paced closer to Chen Lin, who held up his hands in fear.

Nigel brushed him aside and pulled on the doors of the truck to open them.

That was when the driver’s door slammed open, and a smaller Asian man in a white suit emitted a war cry, his gun ready and aimed at Darko.

Nigel flew back to shield his friend, and before he could realize, his finger had pulled the trigger two times.

Chen Lin screamed in panic and fright, and dove to the man’s side as he fell right before Darko’s feet, his weapon kicked out of his hands by Darko.

“Jianyu! No!!” Chen Lin dropped to his knees, hands outreached and he cradled the back of the fallen man’s head in his arms, his chest leaning forward as he sobbed over the body.

The man’s blood soon soaked up the suit, the colour appearing black in the dark night. Chen Lin sobbed harder and harder as he rocked on his feet holding the man.

Darko and Nigel exchanged confused looks, until Chen Lin looked up at them with revenge and anger flaring in his eyes.

Tires and engines of more trucks and cars soon had entered the small parking lot, and more guards got out, their weapons pointed at Nigel and Darko while they surrounded the truck and pushed both alphas out of the way, screaming at them in Chinese.

“What’s going on?” Nigel asked, backing up slowly and mapping the route for his escape with Darko, nodding at Darko, who was slowly pulling out smoke bombs from his pockets amidst all the yelling and commotion.

“He was my son…and you killed him!” Chen Lin wiped his eyes, then stroked the young man’s cheeks, his fingers trailing blood stains down the man’s pale face as he reached up and pressed his fingertips down onto the man’s eyelids and closed his eyes so he could rest peacefully.

Chen Lin glared up at the alphas. “You will pay for this! For everything you have done to me tonight!”

“You’ll have to make a fucking appointment first!” Darko threw the bombs before the guards, who immediately began sputtering and coughing, while he ran over and grabbed Nigel’s shoulders, pulling him out of his reverie, and the two ran off into the night.

(*******)

Nigel and Darko had entered their rented hotel room around 1 AM that morning. They had hidden out in the older buildings behind the woods they had sought refuge and hiding in, and once the smoke and guards had cleared away, they had hiked the long hike back to their hotel room.

Almost immediately, Darko’s cellphone rang, and he turned on the speakerphone, knowing it had to be Dominique checking in.

The webcam connected to the long-distance call, and soon enough, Dominique’s balding, large figure covered half the entire screen.

He smiled once he saw both Darko and Nigel as they sat at a table in the center of the room.

“How’re my two favourite boys? Did you find what is rightfully mine?”

Nigel looked down at his hands which rested on the top of the table, and his hair fell forward into his eyes and covered them like a curtain from Dominique’s gaze.

“Hmm?”

Darko sighed and rubbed the back of his head with a dirty hand.

“No, we didn’t, Dominique.” He answered in a short, small voice.

Dominique threw his head back and laughed for a few minutes, then looked forward at Darko, smile and laughter dying down like a winding clock.

“What do you mean you didn’t?” He asked, chuckling, though only partly.

Nigel turned the cellphone directly onto himself and leaned forward into the line of the camera.

“We were fucking ambushed and unprepared. So no, we didn’t get your shit, Dominique.”

The Frenchman slammed his hands down onto his desk, causing the camera to slightly shake in the view.

“Fuck you Romanian bastards! You let me down?!?” He roared, his double chin sinking into his throat as his face turned beet red in fury.

“He had a son with him, Dominique! Why didn’t you tell us Chen Lin had a son?!?” Nigel roared in response, then looked up to see Darko stare back at him, defeatedly.

Dominique stopped glaring, then gasped.

“You fuckers killed Jianyu? You two are fucking braindead morons!” He turned back in his chair and began breathing heavily, his shoulders rising and lowering with his breathing.

Darko cocked an eyebrow.

“Well he said he was going to make us pay, if that’s what you fucking mean.” Nigel hissed, biting down hard on his lower lip in thought, wondering how far and how deeply they had already fucked themselves over.

“Yes that’s what I fucking mean! It is so fucking typical of you two to start a fucking gang war with the Chinese now!”

Nigel rolled his eyes, “Spare me, asshole.”

Dominique held up his hands to silence him.

“Listen, you just killed Chen Lin’s only son, you ignorant fuck! I don’t think I can cover for you two right now if you stay there! You bring your asses back here, you understand me?”

Darko laughed, but it wasn’t a laugher of amusement.

“What do you fucking mean?”, he looked over at Nigel, who didn’t meet his eyes, “…we just risked our balls and skins for nothing?”

“You weren’t supposed to kill the only son of a Chinese gangster, you imbecile! I don’t think my Public Relations representative is even that stupid!” Dominique raised his voice, his face growing redder as he yelled.

“It was either him or us. We chose, so fuck you.” Nigel said coldly, turning the phone back to face Darko.

Dominique pointed a finger at the screen.

“Fuck it. You got rid of one problem, but caused me a million others,” he sighed, then lowered his voice, “…stay right there, I’m moving, from the looks of it.”

Nigel nodded in time with Darko.

“Good, you got what you wanted, Dominique, nothing’s changed.”

“No, a lot has changed, Nigel,” the Frenchman sighed again, then looked at both Nigel and Darko as Nigel made his way over to stand behind Darko and peer down at the screen of the phone.

“You two fucked up big time, and I won’t let that go easily.” Dominique hissed at them, teeth slightly yellow, possibly from the abundance of smoke and alcohol he had drowned himself in, celebrating their success way too early.

Darko frowned in confusion, his face scrunched up. “What do you mean?”

“I mean from now on, you won’t be handling the big guns and the big toys anymore. You can’t handle it.” Dominie explained slowly, as if he were dealing with two stupid children instead of grown adults.

Darko looked at Nigel. “What the fuck’s this, then?”

“You’ll be handling my paperwork from now on. Office duty, boys. No more, no less.”

“WHAT?!?” Darko roared, punching the top of the desk with a clenched fist.

“Fuck you.” Nigel hissed, leaning down and flipping Dominique off in front of the webcam.

“You’ll do it, or I’ll kill you both.” Dominique warned threateningly, eyes narrowing at them both.

Nigel shook his head.

“Besides, I think you two need a break from all this, until you show and prove to me you can handle bigger tasks again.”

With that said, Dominique disconnected the call, and the screen fell back to Darko’s background picture.

“FUCK!” Darko screamed out again, throwing the phone back onto one of the beds of the room.

He held his head in his hands while Nigel walked over to a bed and sat down on it, hands over his knees as he sighed exhaustedly.

“This is the fucking ‘thanks’ we get for risking our fucking lives for that French pig. I should’ve known.” Darko laughed, pulled the threads of his jacket, until growing bored with that, and shredding the jacket off and flinging it at the floor violently.

“Fuck him, we’re capable of handling anything, Darko.” Nigel said calmly, moving back and kicking his shoes off slowly.

“Yeah I get that, but this is fucking child’s play, Nigel!” Darko argued.

Nigel raised his legs up and lowered himself onto the mattress, staring up at the ceiling and grinning to himself.

“When we first left Romania, you know we had nothing. We’re slowly making a life for ourselves, so don’t you go and fuck it up, Darko. We’re so fucking close.” Nigel raised a hand and draped it over his forehead, shielding his eyes from the bright pot lights.

Darko drummed his fingers over the desk for a while before sighing and slapping his thighs.

“You’re right. We can do this. There’s no shame in deskwork, right?”

Nigel shook his head, “Nope. Just accept it and look at all the positives in this situation.”

“What positives?”

Nigel closed his eyes as he felt a headache brewing in the back of his head.

“We killed the Asian’s brother, so that’s a point for us,” he began, trying to omit the images of violence that had transpired that night from his mind, “…we may not have gotten the shit back for Dominique, but we will, and we came out of it alive and breathing, so don’t be so fucking ungrateful.”

Darko listened carefully, then rubbed his eyes a few times before nodding in agreement.

“Yeah, okay, yeah, you’re right, Nigel. You’re always right.”

Nigel smirked and closed his eyes.

“I know. I always am.”

Darko made his way over to the bathroom and turned on the sink.

“I need some fucking rest, we’ll figure this shit out in the morning, right?” He asked, looking back at his friend resting on the bed.

“Right, Darko.” Nigel spoke, half asleep already, his mind spinning like a top as he tried avoiding nightmares.

Darko nodded, and closed the bathroom door, leaving Nigel to his thoughts that were of nothing but brute force, violence, and a most troubled past.  
  
He was shocked he even managed to fall asleep that night.


	2. Unlucky and Not in Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning! Hannibal bashing O_o

  ** _Chapter 2_**

**_4 MONTHS LATER_ **

Adam Raki heard someone ringing his doorbell off the ringer, the rings blaring off like fire alarms every few seconds, then quickly in a 1,2,3,4 rapid pace. He bolted awake, assured that whoever was ringing was going to burn out the bell within minutes if they kept it up at this rate.

Adam checked his cellphone for the time: It was almost 8 in the morning. Reluctantly, he pushed his bedsheets and blankets off his warm body, sighing in discomfort once the slightly cooler later summer breeze hit his legs.

He pressed his feet down into his slippers as he wrapped himself in his night robe and made his way out of his bedroom.

Pre-autumn air flew through the house in time with the ringing, and Adam shivered, covering his ears with his hands as he finally made it to the front door, where the ringing grew unbearably louder.

He unlocked the door and swung it open, finding himself faced with his favourite cousin, Will Graham.

Will and Adam looked absolutely similar, so much that many people confused the two cousins and mistook one for the other.

They both had dark brown curly hair, with Will’s only being slightly more messy and wavy due to the weather, more than likely. Will currently wore a dark brown small beard and moustache, and his blue eyes peered into Adam’s similar blue ones. Sometimes Will also wore glasses, but today he had clearly left them at home and donned his contact lenses, which made differentiating the two cousins apart impossible if one didn’t know them personally.

They were of the same build, same height, same weight, and they were most importantly family.

Will had been at Adam’s side all throughout their childhood, and he was always protecting and looking out for his younger cousin, as Adam had Asperger’s Syndrome; a developmental disorder characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction and nonverbal communication. Adam was considered high functioning and quite intelligent, and Will had constantly supported his cousin through any struggles and obstacles while they went to school together and graduated college with honours in their classes.

Will felt prouder of his cousin than a father would his son, and he smiled at him as he stood before him dressed in a tan coloured spring coat and track pants.

He reached out and gave his cousin a small hug which he had some difficulty returning, but eventually his arms made their way up to Will’s back, patting him a few times awkwardly before Will let him go.

“It’s good to see you, Adam! How’ve you been?” He smiled excitedly at his cousin, who was still in the process of fully waking up, as he rubbed his tired eyes and yawned.

“I’ve been well, thanks Will. What brings you here?”

Will looked down at the floor suddenly, his smile completely wiped off his face as if someone had erased it forcefully and swiftly.

The wind blew the trees wildly, indicating that fall indeed was on its way and just around the corner, but Adam knew there were other pressing matters that needed his attention.

He gasped, grabbing onto Will and pulling him inside his house before closing the door firmly.

“Hannibal dumped you again, didn’t he?” He asked accusingly, eyes growing dark with anger and hatred as he hissed out Will’s boyfriend’s name.

Will still peered at the floor, shaking his head. “It’s not that simple, Adam…yes we broke up again, but I think this is a temporary thing!”

Adam shook his head as he walked into the kitchen, turning on his coffee maker for Will while he opened the fridge and grabbed milk for his cereal.

“I don’t believe you, William.” Adam only used Will’s full name whenever he was really angry or disappointed in his older cousin.

Will sighed and took off his coat, draping it across the seat of one of the kitchen stools before sitting down at another propped in front of the kitchen counter.

“William, tell me the truth. Did you leave Hannibal? Or did he ask you to leave?” Adam asked, slowly and gingerly grabbing a bowl and then his cereal. His eyes squinted accusingly at Will, never leaving his face.

Will sighed and ran a hand through his hair, making his forehead visible before he let his hair flop back over his forehead once again.

“Hannibal…requested for me to leave.”

Adam let his spoon and bowl clatter roughly against the top of the kitchen counter, making the most frightening, violently loud noise that echoed in the medium sized kitchen like the ringing earlier.

Will jumped in his seat slightly, then sighed once more.

“I knew it.”

“Adam, don’t-”

Adam made his way over to his cousin and pointed a finger at him angrily, his arm beginning to shake as his anger flared.

“I knew it! I knew Hannibal was no good for you! You’re always breaking up with him, so it makes sense he did it to you now!”

“We can work it out!” Will cried back but Adam’s finger jabbing in his nose made his outburst die down quickly.

“No! This time I know it’s over because Hannibal’s always coming after you. This time, he was the one who left you, Will.”

Will shook his head, still unable to process the situation, and still in denial, apparently.

“It’s not over.”

“It is, Will.” Adam sighed and put his milk back in the fridge, his appetite no longer available to be satiated. He truly felt bad for his cousin, for the older one was something of an empath, and he worked for the FBI for a few years already as a lecturer, which Adam felt was the perfect job for Will. He was a fountain of vast knowledge, and was always ready and eager to obtain more knowledge each day, which was what had drawn Hannibal to Will in the first place.

They had obviously met through a colleague by the name of Jack Crawford, a man who now was Will’s superior. Will had introduced Hannibal to Adam after they had been dating for over 6 months, and truthfully, Adam never had liked Will’s choice in a boyfriend since he first laid eyes on Hannibal.

Hannibal was tall and handsome, no doubt, and he smelled every bit the dominant, strong alpha he was, which would be perfect for any dependent omega to rely on and be mated to, but Adam knew Will was different.

Both cousins had been born as pure-bred omegas, which was a bit of a shame when it came to their fathers, but they had accepted them as omegas and they lived out without trouble for a long time until Adam and Will hit their first heat when they were just 16 years old.

Life had grown more complicated since then, with Adam’s love life being nonexistent as he struggled to not only land a long-term relationship, but also to find someone who would be accepting of an omega who had Asperger’s Syndrome, while Will had had a few relationships, but nothing he deemed serious and worthy of anything, until he met Hannibal.

Adam still envied his cousin for not having to face the struggles of being a damaged and broken omega. It was one thing to be a male omega, as they were rare but ultimately highly desired, but he was an omega who had Asperger’s Syndrome. He knew many people wouldn’t have the time nor the patience to learn about his needs and how to meet them carefully, so he had thrown dating out the window for the time being, and instead focused on trying to vicariously be happy for Will and Hannibal’s union.

“I can’t believe he asked me to move in with him and then he broke up with me…” Will suddenly breathed in a sad sigh, bringing Adam out of his thoughts and into the present and here and now.

He nodded, turning back to brew the coffee for his cousin.

“I really considered marrying him at one point, I can’t believe it!” Will cried on, cradling his head in his hands desperately.

Adam added in the sugar and cream before bringing the steaming mug over to his cousin and sitting down beside him. He pushed the coffee cup under his cousin’s nose, trying to entice him to forget about Hannibal for once.

“I don’t know what to do, Adam!” Will grabbed the cup, but it appeared he only used it to warm his hands instead of sipping it.

Adam looked at his laptop from his seat as it sat on the arm of one of his sofas in the sitting room.

“Have you tried online dating?” He offered, hoping something would soothe and comfort his grieving cousin.

Will snorted.

“Are you kidding me? I’d get loads of creeps there, only. Tons of pervy betas probably waiting to sink their teeth in a delicious little omega. No thank you.” He shook his head and looked down at his coffee, as if it held the answers he was seeking.

“You don’t think a respectable partner would be lurking online just waiting for you, then?” Adam smirked, trying to cheer his cousin up as best as he could.

It seemed to work, for Will laughed and began sipping his coffee.

“No, I highly doubt respectable partners would be online, Adam.”

Adam nodded, feeling slightly down upon himself for not being able to provide solutions for not only Will’s dilemmas and problems, but his own. Adam didn’t want to be alone for the rest of his life; he desired strongly to have a partner to bond with, and have a mate for life who would cherish him and take care of him while allowing himself to be taken care of. He desired what everyone naturally desired; to have closeness and a family.

Adam felt his heart suddenly racing once he pondered about their situations, and he waited until Will had finished most of his coffee before he offered a distraction.

“Did you bring Winston?” He asked, and immediately, Will’s smile broadened across his lips at the mention of his canine friend. He had found Winston a year ago when he was driving home, and the poor thing was walking in the streets aimlessly, dirty, frightened, starving. Will had tried approaching multiple times only to have the dog run off, until he was able to earn his trust by offering him bits of food until he could touch him and pet him.

Winston and Will had been good friends since that day, and were hardly parted from each other, despite the fact that Will brought in plenty of other dogs and created himself a small canine family.

Hannibal had made Will give the dogs away, only allowing him to keep Winston, which troubled Adam deeply. He felt that if someone cared for someone else deeply, they wouldn’t expect or force that person to change aspects of their lives and themselves they enjoyed and liked.

“Of course! He’s waiting in the truck, probably, but we should take him for a walk!” Will stood up and put his cup in the sink before grabbing Adam’s arm and pulling him into the hallway.

Once Adam had dressed for a walk, wearing blue jogging shorts, white running shoes, and a matching blue spring jacket, he met Will outside.

Will already had Winston out of the truck, and the little mixed dog bounded over to Adam, standing up on his hind legs, pawing and licking Adam’s hands excitedly, his fluffy tail wagging from side to side happily.

“Hey Winston, missed you, buddy!” Adam stroked the dog’s ears a few times before they walked down the street, gravel and leaves crunching beneath their shoes as they walked on side by side.

The trees were still thick with their foliage, however, a few of them definitely had begun bending to the change in temperature, their leaves turning a slight orange as they swayed and danced about in the wind, some falling down at Adam and Will’s feet and heads as they walked until they entered a small park near Adam’s home.

They walked along the bridge that hung over a small river, standing and leaning on the railing, looking for ducks so Adam could feed them.

Winston peered down at the murky brown water, barking a few times before running around Adam and Will’s legs.

“He sure seems pleased to be out.” Adam pointed out as he sighed, looking around at the ripples in the water peacefully.

“Yeah, sure beats being stuck in a truck most of the morning, huh?” Will joked, reaching down and petting the top of Winston’s head as they turned and resumed their walk through the almost-empty park.

After a heavy silence, Adam spoke. “Will, I know you can do better than Hannibal.”

Will sighed and it sounded pained, “Don’t say that, Adam. You didn’t know Hannibal.”

Adam fought the urge to pretend he was about to vomit. Sometimes he detested how cliched his cousin sounded.

“Still, he didn’t deserve you in the end, did he?”

Will shrugged but didn’t say anything.

Winston suddenly began barking loudly, and he ran ahead of them through the park past some benches, and turned around a tree before running back and barking wildly.

“Looks like Winston’s made some friends.” Will pointed in the direction his dog had run off to, and a young couple approached, the woman pushing a baby carriage in front of her while her husband held a newspaper in his hands.

They smiled at both Will and Adam, causing Adam to pale and gasp.

“Oh crap…it’s Beth!”

Will gaped and then shook his head.

“No way that’s your ex, Adam!”

“Shh!” Adam hissed as the couple drew closer.

The woman was a thin lady with long, dark brown hair tied back in a tight ponytail. She wore light eyeliner which made her round dark brown eyes pop out gorgeously against her white skin, and she wore bright lip gloss on her pleasantly shaped lips. She was dressed in a purple jumper, the zipper halfway down, and white running shoes.

The man by her side had short black hair, black eyebrows that seemed a bit too thick, white skin that was slightly tanned and dry, and he wore a dark sweater with track pants. They were both well built and appeared to be quite athletic. 

“Adam!!” The woman smiled and walked around the baby carriage to give Adam a firm hug.

Adam hugged her back for a few seconds before clearing his throat and looking at Will.

“Will!” She hugged his cousin next, having met Will only once before.

“How’ve you been, Beth?” Will asked.

She flashed them a clean, white smile. “I’ve been good! This is Ian, my fiancé!” She gestured to the man with the black hair, who stood forward and shook Will’s hand and then Adam’s briefly.

“Pleasure to meet you.” He had a thicker voice than Adam would have anticipated, and he seemed rather…serious…

“Fiancé?” Adam gasped, then looked at the baby in the carriage. The baby had clearly woken up due to the voices around, and looked up at Adam with bright blue eyes.

Beth turned and gently pushed the carriage closer towards Will and Adam.

“This is Mila! She’s going to be two soon! Can you believe it?”

“She’s yours?” Adam asked dumbly, causing Will to poke him with his elbow in a warning.

There was no doubting that the baby was very beautiful, and it was no surprise; as her parents were quite charming and attractive. The baby wore a bright pink little tuque, and she was dressed in a yellow onesie, her large eyes and eyelashes fluttering at Will and Adam curiously.

Beth chuckled, flipping her hair back over her shoulder when the wind pushed it forward strongly.

“Why of course, Adam! She’s mine and Ian’s! We’re going to be married by the end of the summer! Summer weddings are fantastic, aren’t they?” She gazed with doe-like eyes at her fiancé, who smirked back at her and held her to his arms, kissing her forehead softly.

“I can’t wait, personally. It just seemed like the best thing to do after Mila was born.” His thick, deep voice went unheard by Adam, who was about ready to fling himself into a rage fit.

Sensing his cousin stiffening beside him, Will cleared his throat and smiled weakly.

“Well, we’re really happy for you two! You make a lovely couple. Have a great day, hope to see you around!”

He grabbed his cousin, and they walked ahead of the couple before they could say anything else that would unintentionally upset them.

Once they were at the other end of the park, Will and Adam sat down on a bench, and Adam growled at the back of his throat.

“It’s like someone’s rubbing it in my face that I’m doomed to be a single omega for the rest of my life!” He looked up at the clear white sky and hissed in anger.

Will nodded, looking around, wearing a somber expression which made him appear slightly worn out and older.

“It doesn’t have to always be this way, Adam.”

Adam looked at him inquisitively and confused.

“What do you mean?”

Will outstretched a hand and rested it on his thigh while Winston lay at his feet, staring up at his owner with alert ears raised high.

“We can make a change for ourselves.”

Adam laughed, “Tell me how, and I will!”

“You still have a chance, Adam, you’re younger than me. You should find someone amazing for yourself!”

Adam frowned, seemingly troubled by this statement. As far as he knew, Will was only two years older than him, but he spoke as if they were a decade or two apart in age. 

"What? No!" He began protesting.

"You've got your whole life ahead of you," Will laughed, though it wasn't unkind at all, "...I've had a string of broken and abusive relationships, you haven't. You should start fresh with someone positive."

Adam shook his head, his hair flying around a bit, both from the force of his movements and from the guidance of the wind. Winston looked at Adam now, appearing almost anthropomorphic in his observations.

“No, we both deserve to find someone, Will!” He argued, watching as Will reached up and scratched his light beard, deeply in thought.

“I’ve a proposition. How about I vow to make things work out with Hannibal, and you vow you’ll work hard at finding yourself someone loving and supportive?”

Adam frowned and slapped his hand down on the seat roughly, causing Winston to open his mouth and emit a small whine.

“No way in hell you’re going back to Hannibal. Not after what he did to you!” Adam argued, then crossed his arms over his chest defiantly.

“Adam, Hannibal may not be the best at showing it, but I feel he really does love and care for me deeply.”

Adam rolled his eyes. “Right.”

“He does. I just haven’t made things easier for him either, with my job and the stresses it brings…it’s no surprise it affected the relationship.”

Adam turned directly to his cousin and glared at him, eyes portraying something deeper and beyond anger.

“Don’t you dare do that. Don’t you dare make excuses for how Hannibal manipulated and treated you. This is crazy! Listen to how crazy you sound, Will!” He cried, looking his cousin up and down as if he had grown a second head.

“I love him.”

“He doesn’t love you.”

Will shook his head. “I feel he does. You’ll see.”

“The man tried to change who you are, Will, how’s that love?” Adam shouted his point, causing Winston to turn his head to Will, expectant of his answer.

Will glared at the dog. “Don’t tell me you’re on his side, too!”

Winston panted up at him.

“Shut up.” Will gently helped Adam stand and they headed towards Adam’s home once more.

“Let’s just give it a shot, alright? We try this dating thing one more time before we grow into unlovable, bitter, old omegas who sit at home with their dogs all day long cursing those who are in their youth, and in love!” He uttered poetically, grabbing his heart and chuckling as he walked on ahead.

“Will, you suck!” Adam yelled, watching his cousin take off with Winston running at full speed.

“Try to keep up, Adam!” Will called back, not turning his head to look at Adam as he flew on ahead.

Adam sighed and cursed under his breath before taking off after them.

“Will, you really suck!”


	3. Of Weddings and Children

                                                                   _ **Chapter 3**_

 

                                                                    

 

Nigel stood by Darko as they faced the large front door of the brand-new mansion Dominique had purchased for his niece, Élodie, as a wedding gift.

Nigel had originally thrown out the wedding invitation, but Darko accepted for the two of them before Dominique could smash both their nuts to pieces with a hammer.

Élodie was Dominique’s daughter, practically, and anyone who even remotely knew Dominique had been invited (forcibly) to her wedding.

The front door of the mansion pulled open, and Élodie’s fiancé, Nicolas greeted the two henchmen.

“Ahhh bonjour monsieur Darko! Monsieur Nigel!” The thin, tall, lanky man with medium length golden brown hair clapped his hands together and ushered them inside merrily.

“French fried faggo-”

Nigel slammed into Darko heavily and violently, brushing past him as they stepped inside the mansion before Nicolas could catch onto the words.

Darko growled and followed behind Nigel, jealous of the grand staircase in the middle of the hallway, the large chandeliers that had been turned on mid-day, and the large hallway decorated from top to the bottom with professionally photographed photos of Nicolas and Élodie. The first few were of the couple sitting in a park, with Nicolas showing off his fiancé’s ring before the camera, the next of them kissing, the next of them holding each other and smiling deeply and madly in love in each other’s eyes, and the next of them with Dominique standing between them proudly.

“Let me show you boys to the lounge, and whenever you’re ready, you can meet us in the backyard! The ceremony begins in less than 15 minutes!”

Nicolas smiled once more and walked towards the patio doors, leaving Nigel and Darko to head towards the room just before the kitchen, and they walked inside.

This room was rather large, and it contained majority of the wedding gifts and decorations. The room smelled wonderfully clean, and the glass tables and chairs were spotless and shiny as they held majority of the packages and presents on top of their surfaces.

Nigel and Darko sat before large mirrors hanging across the walls, straightening out their tuxedos and making sure their hair was combed and held back neatly and professionally.

Nigel wore a black suit and grey tie, while Darko wore a deep navy-blue suit and was currently looking around in his pockets for the tie.

Nigel observed his friend fumble about, tapping his pockets, turning around, looking down at the floor to see whether he dropped his tie, and then he looked back up at Nigel.

“What?” He ground out angrily, his cheeks heating up as he dug in his pockets again, making the lining inside them poke out messily.

Nigel chuckled deeply, placing the insides of the pockets back in for Darko, and straightening the top of the three-piece suit, brushing off the bits of dirt Darko managed to get on his sides and back.

“You look like a virgin before her prom, it’s priceless.” Nigel chuckled again, hands diving into his own pockets, and then he turned Darko away from the mirror to face him.

Darko made a childish face at him. “You look like a grandfather at a fucking funeral!” He argued back.

Nigel grabbed Darko’s chin, and pushed it upwards as he placed the bowtie on his neck swiftly, turning Darko back on his feet. He pushed his younger friend out the room and they made their way to the patio doors, ready to join the rest of the guests outside.

The yard was enormous; the trees and lush greenhouse was at the far end of the backyard, while little gardens and flowerbeds decorated throughout the center of the yard. The grass was the most perfect, healthy shade of green, and it smelled freshly cut. A few bumble bees and sparrows bathed in a large birdbath and hive, protected far away from the guests, and children and teenagers dressed in fancy dresses and suits laughed and played among each other. Older adults walked about, some of them hanging out at the bar by the right side, and others already were helping themselves to wine and punch by the serving tables, while waiters and waitresses walked about, offering refreshments on silver platters for everyone who sat about at long white-covered glass tables.

Nigel and Darko were about to go find a seat, when Dominique stood on the large porch in front of his guests, as if it were his own soapbox.

“Everyone! May I have your attention?” He cried out, cupping his chubby hands over his lips like a horn belling out.

The guests silenced themselves, giving their full attention to Dominique.

He smiled and motioned over to where a large group of professional cameramen walked onto the grass, obviously preparing for a large group photo to take place.

“Friends, it is such a great pleasure that you’re all joining me here today to celebrate the union of my beautiful niece,” many guests cheered, hitting their utensils against their cups and plates gently.

“…I would like to take this moment to ensure we’re all together frozen in time and place! I want this moment to be immortalized forever!”

The cameramen began speaking instructions to the guests as they all arranged together for the picture.

Darko looked up at Nigel and whispered, “Fucking hell.”

Nigel smirked, but soon followed his friend as they stood beside each other in the second row of male guests, who held their arms and placed it on the shoulders of the women, who stood in front of them and some on the grass with the children.

“Everyone, remember to smile!” Dominique yelled, and everyone laughed and smiled their best smiles, while Darko grimaced in pain, and Nigel cracked half a smile on his thin lips.

“Say fromage!” The cameramen called out joyfully in cheery voices which made Darko and Nigel’s ears want to bleed out.

Simultaneously, everyone yelled: “FROMAGEEEEE!”

The pictures were snapped three times, and then the guests cheered and hugged each other.

Dominique walked over behind one of the cameramen, requesting to view the photos, and the cameraman passed the camera over to his boss, smiling at his handiwork.

Dominique smiled as his eyes shifted through the guests, until he stopped suddenly, his smile dying, and then he frowned darkly. His chubby cheeks began turning purple from anger, and he looked up, his grey blue eyes glaring at Darko and Nigel.

“Darko!” He screamed, causing Darko to nearly drop the glass of beer he just recently poured himself.

“Yes sir?” Darko asked meekly, his glass slightly shaking in his hand.

“What’s with the stupid fucking bowtie?” Dominique rumbled, his nose pointing up at Darko’s chest.

Darko looked down, but couldn’t make the bowtie out clearly, making his eyes cross as he tried peering down with his lower lip poking out, chin and neck bunching inward together as he fidgeted. A few guests giggled at the ordeal, while Nigel scratched his head coolly.

Darko eventually tore off the bowtie, holding it up to his face.

It indeed was a really stupid fucking bowtie. It was bright pink, with little white polka-dots littered everywhere, front to back on it.

Darko glared up at Nigel, who hid his playful, devious smile behind a hand.

“You fucking asshole.”

(~~~’’~~~)

The rest of the wedding went by without a disruption of peace, and Dominique lead a dance with his beautiful niece on the porch into the early night, while the rest of the guests sat back, filmed, took photos, and drank their wine while chatting lightly.

Darko looked ahead bored, while Nigel sat cross legged, looking around at the rest of the guests. They were all mostly married couples, holding hands, exchanging loving embraces and kisses, while their children played in the grass and laughed.

Darko gently tapped Nigel’s arm, bringing out of his observations.

“You know, I think it’s times like this where I need to really talk about important shit I normally don’t talk about with you because us being guys, we don’t like talking about feelings and emotions.” He began, waving his hand at his empty glass, though not inebriated.

Nigel smirked, but listened. “Go on.”

“Seriously Nigel, I need to talk to you, straight up, man-to-man!” Darko whined, sitting back in his seat, his head leaning against the head of the large chair, eyes slightly tired as they bore into Nigel’s dark ones.

“I said I was listening, Darko.”

Darko nodded, “Alright, well, you’re my brother, right?”

“Practically.”

“Unfortunately.”

Nigel chuckled.

“You’re my brother, my best mate…and you’d have my back through anything, right?”

Nigel smiled and nodded, “Yes Darko.”

“You know how many private things I’ve told you over the years?” Darko asked the rhetorical question, then sighed and carried on.

“It’s such an amazing feeling, and I love it.”

Nigel felt the heart of the matter about to hit him, and he braced himself, grabbing onto his own glass of beer, sipping it slowly while gazing up at Dominique and his niece still dancing.

“I love it, but can you imagine being able to do the exact same with a lover?”

Nigel’s neck snapped to Darko quickly. “What?”

“You know! A partner? A lover? A wife or a h-husband!” He hiccupped the last word, smiling to himself as he looked down at the table.

“Darko, I think you’re drunk.” Nigel supplied, hoping the conversation would abruptly end. It wasn’t that Nigel didn’t value relationships or love, he just didn’t feel prepared to settle down with that one true ‘someone’. Nigel loved fighting and fucking way too much, and he didn’t want to hand that in and settle down for a peaceful life any fucking time soon. Sex was good and cheap, and he preferred keeping it that way. It would take a fucking miracle for Nigel to settle down and have a family life. He had way too much fun in the streets with Darko by his side, adrenaline rushing to their brains as they risked everything and anything they had every night…until recently anyway.

Darko scoffed and stood wearily.

“Just imagine how this all could be with a lover, Nigel.” He repeated, looking back at some of the kids playing about.

“No.” Nigel’s single-worded response made Darko snort out of his nose, and he shook his head in disbelief.

Darko laughed and waved him off, making his way towards the children. Darko had made friends with one of the children, a distant relative of Dominique’s, who had a son. The boy’s name was Tyler, and he often allowed Darko to give him advice and sometimes, Dominique’s distant relative left Tyler in Darko’s care, understanding Darko was fond of the little boy almost as one of his own.

“You’re unbelievable, man!” Darko called out, making his way over to sit on the grass beside Tyler, who was currently beating the ever-loving-shit out of another child.

The two boys rolled around in the grass, their little fists slamming into each other’s sides, and they carried on with Darko watching until Tyler was the winner in that round, punching the other boy so hard in the nose that he seemingly passed out on the grass as he lay still.

Darko laughed and offered a high-five to Tyler.

“Way to go little man! What a nice right hook you’ve got there!”

The little red-headed boy walked right past Darko’s outstretched hand, sitting down momentarily to grab his IPhone from the grass before cocking an eyebrow and scoffing sarcastically at Darko.

“Yeah, sure, what would you know about fighting, Darko? You’re only a receptionist!” He taunted the older man, smiling with his little teeth poking out mockingly at the older man.

Darko lowered his hand and frowned.

“Oy! A little respect! I know a good thing or two about fighting!”

Tyler laughed and placed his phone in the pocket of his black overalls.

“You’re old! You can’t fight!” He laughed, his eyes squinting in disbelief at Darko’s claims.

Darko did a mock gasp.

“I can so. I can definitely tell you, that the most power and resources you can hold over your enemy is the element of surprise; attacking when they least expect it!”

Tyler paused in thought for a moment, looking at Darko, who smiled and nodded at him proudly.

Without warning, Tyler ran forward a few, quick steps, and kneed Darko in the balls square between his open legs.

“FUUUUUUUCK!” Darko wheezed out, hunching forward and grabbing his jewels, eyes clenched tightly shut in pain while Tyler ran away laughing and giggling devilishly.

Nigel shook his head, feeling sorry for his friend. He stood and made his way over to sit beside Darko, placing a comforting hand on his shoulders and giving him one little shake.

“Still want to have your own kids someday?” He asked playfully, watching as Darko breathed in and out of his mouth like a woman in labour before he opened his eyes and glared madly at Nigel.

“Yes, I still fucking do.”

Nigel couldn’t argue with his friend’s ravenous, murderous, wild eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was actually kind of amusing XD Poor Darko!


	4. E-Mate.com

**_Chapter 4_ **

****

 

Adam quickly stacked up the large, heavy ladder against the high ceiling-reaching shelves as his fingers dug upward to grasp onto the last available copy of the Monopoly Board Game. He felt a few other boxes stumbling and sliding forward as he stood tip toed, fingers sliding and squeaking as his skin dug into the Monopoly Box, trying to bring it down for the angry mother and her annoying brat of a daughter who had entered the shop a few minutes ago. They had demanded the game over, and when Adam checked the inventory, he was almost frightened to admit they had only one last copy in stock, and he had to explain to the infuriated, displeased mother as to why the game would be discontinued, and the franchise no longer available anywhere.

“I’ll never shop at this game store anymore, then!” She had shrieked in his ears.

“Ma’am, the entire franchise is being discontinued, which means no gaming store sells it, not just this one.”

Adam had worked at Games N’ Gadgets for nearly two years now, and though he liked his job as the store manager, he often despised it at the same time, given how many rude and annoying customers who expected him to supply them everything at the snap of their fingers walked into the store as of late.

The angry mother watched while her young daughter played with a small box of puzzles down at her feet.

Adam swayed from side-to-side high up on the ladder, and he nearly had grabbed the box finally, his index and middle finger scrambling for purchase on the side of the box, when he slipped forward and had to take a momentary break. He held tightly onto the sides of the ladder, closing his eyes when he looked down at the floor a good few meters down below, and he shivered.

“Well?” The angry mother hissed up at him, growing impatient by the minute.

Adam looked back up at the box, and made a slow, hesitant reach for it once again. He closed his eyes, trying to grab it quickly, but in his haste, he didn’t notice he had knocked over a few chess board games, which knocked over into Ghost Blitz game boxes, sending the two crashing down like dominoes, right down to the little girl.

The girl’s mother gasped and yanked her daughter away just in time before the boxes crashed down on her spot.

Adam pulled the Monopoly game out of the shelves and turned on the ladder, sliding down rapidly before he could get sick.

“I found it!”

He held the box happily down towards the little girl, but her mother slapped it out of his hands violently, causing it to crash into another shelf and displace more items.

“We don’t want it. Come on, Anne-Marie.”

She grabbed her daughter’s hand and pulled her out of the aisle towards the EXIT.

Adam followed, fearful that he was going to lose another customer. He began panicking, and he felt his toes and fingers growing cold and sweaty, as his heart raced quickly.

“W-wait, please!”

The mother suddenly turned around and glared at him.

“No! You almost killed my daughter, you idiot!”

Adam hung his head low, feeling ashamed of himself.

“I’m sorry…”

She sighed and opened the door, pushing her daughter hurriedly out of the store.

“This is why omegas should never have been given the rights to work and make money like the rest of us good, hard-working betas and alphas are supposed to.”

She slammed the door behind her, making Adam cringe at the force and intensity. He didn’t know why, but he had felt a strong headache brewing in the back of his head, his temples tightening and his forehead throbbing with a dull pain already.

Adam reached into his pockets for a painkiller, but then suddenly remembered he had to take his heat suppressants.

Adam had been on his heat suppressants ever since he had first presented as an omega at the age of sixteen. His father had rushed him to their family doctor, after a few eager, powerful, dangerous alphas had followed them all the way there.

“If you don’t want to run the risk of having him attacked, raped, beaten, and impregnated, then I suggest heat suppressants.” Adam’s doctor had written out the best, most highly-recommended heat suppressant, and sent Adam and his father on their way to pick it up.

While the heat suppressants did indeed work, they had odd side effects sometimes such as causing Adam to stammer more, even though he wasn’t fearful or nervous, caused clammy hands at times, caused his moods to shift and change dramatically and drastically sometimes with no warning, and sometimes caused him severe aches and pains in his abdomen and back.

But in the end, Adam always took his suppressants, and they had helped him pass college and land him his job, despite being an omega.

Many people were doubtful and reluctant to hire omegas, as they worried they would distract alphas and even some betas, but Adam had shown proof that he was a hard worker, and always took his suppressants on time and regularly, so it hadn’t been an issue for him ever since.

Remembering he had to take another one, he walked over to the desk, ringing the little “Service Bell”, making sure no more customers were within the shop, and when he found the entire place to be empty, he grabbed a bottle of water from behind the front desk, and dug into his bag for his bottle of suppressants.

Fishing one out from the bottle, he dumped it in the palm of his hand, staring at it for a few moments, the bottle of water on top of the desk, staring back at him.

“I guess I’ll have to take these forever, now.” Adam said to himself said, knowing there wouldn’t be any beta or alpha ever interested in having a family with him. It was a sad, but ultimately very true fact of his life.

Looking around the empty shop sadly, he dropped the pill in his mouth and swallowed it down without another thought.

(~~~””~~~)

“Come on, Darko! Actually make a fucking effort to hit me, for once!” Nigel slammed into his friend as they wrestled on the wrestling mat of the gym, Nigel once again managing to trap Darko in a headlock as he rolled him upwards and slammed him into the cage of the wrestling arena.

Darko hissed and winced in pain when he felt the bars of the metallic cage dig into his skin, but he didn’t want to be shown to the other women in the gym that he was some sissy-ass soft alpha, so he quickly turned his body around and shoved Nigel’s sweaty body off his own, throwing him back a few steps.

“Very good, but you barely managed to surprise me, that’s all.” Nigel laughed, bouncing up and down on his bare feet, his muscly, long legs supporting his strong-broad frame. He had pranced around the gym in his black Nike shorts, showing off his muscles to the women who ran on the treadmills and exercised on the ellipticals for a while before Darko had enough of his antics, and had challenged him to a wrestling match, the loser having to treat the winner out to a whole night of drinks.

Darko had second guessed his over-inflated confidence and ego once Nigel had been brutally kicking his ass in the wrestling arena, and he wondered if he truly was out of shape for the first time in his life as he huffed and puffed, already out of stamina, while Nigel effortlessly danced around, his hair whipping around his face almost majestically, making him look far more attractive (no doubt) in the eyes of the women in the gym.

“Bastard, gotta always steal my moment.” Darko growled threateningly, sticking out his chest in an effort to make himself appear larger and more deadly than Nigel.

A few women rolled their eyes as they stood around, watching the two alphas.

“Come on, you meatheads!” They sang out playfully, trying to pit one alpha against the other.

Nigel seemed to respond happily to their encouragement, for he crouched down like the ultimate predator, and leapt up, hands wrapping around Darko’s midsection, and he yanked the man closer to his own chest, pressing down on his head, drawing it closer to his chest as he tried pulling him down to the floor.

“Gaaarrrgh!! Nigel, you sweaty old fuck!” Darko tried stepping on Nigel’s toes, but Nigel moved back, still gripping his friend tightly to his body.

“Come on, Darko! You’re making me look bad!” He chuckled, and the sound of it enraged Darko.

He slammed his forehead into Nigel’s chest, causing him to let go of Darko’s head and back off for a second, and Darko took advantage of that, trying to gain the upper hand. He suddenly pressed Nigel back a few steps, and he wrapped his arms around Nigel’s neck, shoving down on the back of his neck and spine as he tipped him down slowly with all his weight bearing down on his back.

This worked, and the observant women cheered as Darko held Nigel’s arms down with one hand, his other hand still wrapped around Nigel’s throat. He pushed him closer and closer to the mats, smiling proudly.

“Are you tired of small dates that eventually lead to nowhere?”

“Huh?”

Darko looked up, still holding tightly onto Nigel.

The large HD flat screen TV mounted high on the walls of the gym ahead of them was playing a commercial now. A man and a woman were walking on the beach, holding hands, and the man suddenly dropped down to one knee, clearly about to propose to the woman, when she ran off, obviously having rejected him.

“Are you fed up with hearing the phrase ‘you’ll find the right one when the time is right?’”

“Fuck yes…” Darko whispered to the announcer of the commercial.

“Well E-Mate.com may be the best option for you now! A wonderful, welcoming website for alphas, omegas, and betas all across the globe, E-Mate.com has had a matching success rate of over 70% of couples marrying or cohabiting within a year of meeting each other!” The announcer’s happy, proud voice echoed straight through Darko’s eyes and into his brain as he watched a young female beta couple exchanging wedding rings, wearing beautiful matching white wedding dresses before they kissed lovingly.

“Sign up now, and get the first six months of premium membership services for FREE! That’s right, for FREE!”

Darko felt Nigel struggling, but he held him down tighter as he listened on, fastening his eyes furiously to the TV screen.

“Why wait another day all alone? Why head to your bachelor pad without someone to share it with? Why come home to your cat every single night after a tough day at the office?”

Darko watched as a tall, toned, tanned man that was obviously an alpha appeared on the screen, his arms draped around a younger man with blonde hair, green eyes, and cute freckles, the pair wearing shiny wedding rings.

“Ever since I joined E-Mate.com, I never expected in my wildest dreams that I would ever be able to meet someone as amazing and captivating as my Maurice. He’s given me a world of hopes, dreams, colour, and most important of all: love.”

Darko gaped in jealousy as the two nuzzled and kissed happily.

That was when Nigel gained the upper hand, with Darko being distracted by the TV, and he knocked his shoulders and chest into Darko, sending him flying upwards, and then slammed him roughly onto the mats.

The women hooted and howled as Darko’s back met the floor in a sickening “slam!”

“Ooooooh!” They cheered, laughing and giggling as Darko’s head swam.

He looked up, seeing the lights and the air vents swimming around as his vision blurred.

Nigel walked over to him, and it seemed as if there were two Nigels, as Darko looked up at him and groaned.

“You snooze, you lose, Darko.”

When they reached the locker rooms and change rooms, Nigel noticed then that something was off about his friend. He looked on as Darko’s eyes glazed about ahead of him, his eyes appearing almost glassy as he appeared to be lost in his thoughts. His movements were more so carried on auto-pilot, and his mind clearly was in another place.

Nigel sat beside Darko on the bench while he tied his running shoes, still looking deep in thought at the middle of the lockers somewhere.

That was when Nigel grew more curious and annoyed than he had been in a while, and he tapped his friend’s forehead.

“Hey, fucko! Where’s your mind at?” He laughed as Darko jolted up, finally bringing his eyes to focus on Nigel.

Darko frowned and shook his head as he began tying the other foot’s shoelaces.

“Nowhere, mind your own business, Nigel.” He ground out in a dull, exhausted tone of voice, but Nigel sensed that Darko’s mind was still trained on whatever it was that had distracted him and caused him to lose the wrestling match earlier.

“Come on, you’re clearly distracted by something, Darko, otherwise you’d have kicked my ass into the floor. What’s up with you?” Nigel grabbed his gym clothes, stuffing them into his duffel bag.

Darko sighed, finishing with his laces on his other shoe before he sat forward, his hands clasped together by his knees.

“Okay, you’ll probably laugh at this, but I’ll tell you anyway…”

“I won’t laugh.” Nigel promised as he sat back down.

“Okay so the ad that played on the TV for that website, E-Mate.com-”

Nigel sighed and shook his head. “Forget it, Darko.”

“Why?” Darko barked angrily, his eyes squinting angrily at Nigel.

“Because majority of those fucked up websites are either for old, desperate, or really ugly loser alphas or omegas who are trying to get knocked up before their last heat. That’s why!” He angrily stood up, pulling the rest of his items out of the locker he rented before slamming the door shut.

Darko also stood. “What if it’s not? What if I gave the website a shot?”

Nigel laughed.

“You promised you wouldn’t laugh!” Darko slammed his fist into the lockers, causing a few other men in the changeroom to look over at the two in shock.

Nigel leaned close to his friend’s ear now that they had a few onlookers.

“Want my advice, Darko?”

Darko nodded.

“A real man wouldn’t hang around a website looking for someone to fuck. If you want it out of your system, we can go to the club right now, get you the best-looking man or woman for the night. I’ll even pay for it myself.” Nigel stated as he slapped his friend on the back reassuringly.

Darko shoved Nigel’s hand away and began walking away from him, his footsteps stomping about, indicating his anger and frustration.

“I’m tired of all that, Nigel. Finding someone to fuck is easy; finding someone to love and settle down with isn’t.”

Nigel cocked a curious eyebrow, but didn’t say anything else as he followed his friend out of the changeroom.

(~~~””~~~)

Adam arrived home around 11 PM that night, worn out, exhausted, and about ready to pass out in his hallway. He dropped his keys and bag right by the front door, not caring about the mess it made as he walked inside his living room, turning on the lights so he could sit down for a few minutes and allow his feet to rest.

When he turned on the lights, he saw his cousin Will, already sitting down on one of the large sofas. He was wearing grey casual pants and a matching grey short-sleeve T-shirt, his hair slightly messy.

“Will! What’re you doing here!” He cried, trying to get over the shock.

Will had a laptop propped open on his lap, but he closed the lid quickly, and set the laptop down on the coffee table as he stood and hugged his cousin gently.

“Hey Adam, sorry I gave you a fright, I didn’t mean to.”

“You should have called!” Adam stated as a matter-of-factly as he began taking off his jacket, tossing it onto the sofa a bit forcefully.

Will noticed it, but didn’t comment on it. Instead, his eyes wandered to the laptop on the coffee table, and his cheeks suddenly turned pink.

Adam saw it, despite Will’s attempts and efforts at concealing it as he sat back down and looked at the laptop.

“Will, what’s going on?” Adam asked, looking at his cousin questioningly, slowly lowering himself so he could sit down beside Will.

Will shrugged. “Oh, it’s nothing, Adam.”

“It is definitely something, you’re acting…funny…I can tell because of your body posture!” Adam pointed an accusatory finger at his cousin, noting how he turned his head away slightly.

“You ARE hiding something from me! Tell me, Will!” Adam pushed and prodded, scooting closer to his cousin, as if the closeness would bring out the truth faster and easier.

Will was silent for a moment, but then he nodded over at the laptop.

“Check your laptop, Adam.”

Adam slowly and hesitantly grabbed the laptop, sliding it forward so the screen faced them both, and he shook the mouse, lighting up the screen before the laptop could go into ‘rest mode’.

Immediately, the screen lit up to Adam’s best picture, which he had taken a few months ago for a family reunion. He was wearing a black dress shirt, and his hair had been neatly combed back, and he was wearing a wonderful, clean white smile as he looked into the camera, showing off his beautifully coloured eyes and long eyelashes.

“Will, what’s this?” Adam looked down the screen, and noticed it was a profile that was bearing his photo, as well as sections of small writing below throughout the page.

There was an ‘about me’ section, as well as ‘hobbies’, ‘favourite foods’, ‘places I’d like to visit’, ‘goals’, and finally ‘what I desire in a partner’….that was when Adam pieced it together, and he shoved his cousin’s arms roughly.

“Will! What the hell is this?!?” He yelled angrily, eyes flying back up to the domain name of the web page, and reading out loud:

“E-Mate.com?!?!”

“Adam, don’t get angry at me or yell, please-” Will began, but Adam slammed his hands down on the coffee table as he read further through the dating profile.

“I like skinny dipping and am not opposed to calling you ‘daddy’? WILL! THESE ARE LIES!” He cried out vehemently, hands shaking so much that he pulled them to rest on the sofa.

Will gave a small smile.

“Well I’ll admit, I went a biiiit too far with that one, but I wanted to leave the door open for a wider range of alphas and betas to notice you…” He said nervously.

“You made this without my permission behind my back!!” Adam screamed practically, then looked around the page desperately.

“How do I delete this?!?”

Will looked down at the floor shamefully. “It’s too late now…you’re considered a ‘premium user’, which means you can’t cancel your account until the time limit has expired for new users.”

Adam glared at him. “How long until I can cancel and delete this?!?”

“S-s-six months.” Will stammered out his response, eyes not leaving the floor.

“I hate you, Will!” Adam cried angrily, and was about to carry on, when a small ‘ding!’ noise blared from the speakers of the laptop within the room.

Immediately, a little chat head opened up on the screen, and the profile picture of a very old male appeared.

“Are you DTF, babe?” Adam read out loud, then looked back curiously at his cousin.

“What’s DTF, Will?”

Will began blushing furiously, and he scratched his head, eyes darting around the room.

“It’s…Down To Fuck…”

Adam turned pale.

“Get. Rid. Of. Him…now.” He spoke out coldly word-for-word, glaring at Will, clearly fuming on the inside as his body shook.

Will grabbed the laptop, and he quickly pressed ‘block user’, and then sat back and sighed.

“Adam, I just wanted to help you find someone, that’s all.” He looked pleadingly at his cousin, his eyes round and giving off a ‘puppy dog’ sadness.

Adam groaned as another ‘ding!’ sounded suddenly.

They looked at the screen, and both emitted a surprised gasp.

“Wow…he’s actually good-looking.” Will stated an obvious fact.

The profile picture was of a younger, clearly athletically well-built man. He had deep blue eyes, a beautiful smile that drew anyone in, and short-cropped blonde hair. He had a wonderfully shaped chin and nose, and it made Adam want to stare and admire at his features for hours. He suddenly felt transfixed, and he looked up at the screen to read the user’s name.

“Darko505?”

“Original, I know, but damn, he’s hot!” Will laughed, clicking on ‘see profile’.

“It says he lives here in New York, and he’s been here for that last few months. He’s new to online dating, he can appear shy sometimes, he likes ice-cream, and his ideal first date is either going to the movies, or having coffee outside while listening to birds sing…”

Adam smiled as he listened to his cousin read through the rest of the profile. He felt mesmerized by every word and statement, feeling he could identify with this Darko505.

“Things he wants to learn more about include: surfing, business, banking, and cooking.”

“I like cooking…” Adam whispered, and he had meant it to be heard only by himself, but Will caught on, smiling brightly.

“He’s messaged you, Adam!”

Adam didn’t believe it.

“What, where?” He leaned in closer to the laptop, eyes wielding hope.

“Here!” Will pointed at the minimized chat head, opening it up with a click.

“Hi there, I just wanted to say that you’re extremely attractive, and I would love to get to know you, if it’s alright with you.” Will read out, and Adam gasped.

“He asked me for permission first…he’s-”

“A gentleman?” Will supplied.

Adam gave a small frown, but his smile soon over-powered his facial features.

“He’s decent…I like him…”

Will laughed and hugged his cousin tightly, then handed the laptop over to him.

“And you thought this would be a bad thing!”

Adam’s glare returned to his face, but he began typing back his response, regardless.

“I’m still mad at you, Will.”


	5. No Game Face

**_Chapter 5_ **

****

To say he had grown addicted to chatting with the omega online was a massive understatement; Darko soon grew obsessed, and it took many weeks before he was able to get the omega to agree to meet him for their first date.

It was set to be in a public outdoor café just downtown, on the best, most sunny day, which Adam had picked out due to weeks of weather tracking. The fact that he was so organized impressed and pleased Darko, and it made him want to meet the omega even more than ever before.

When the morning of their date arrived, he selected his best outfit: a freshly washed, ironed out, and heavy-cologne-scented black polo shirt, collar pushed back and folded neatly down, and a brand new pair of dark blue jeans no one had seen him wear since they moved to America. It had taken Darko a while to dig out the clothes, and when he did, he felt more proud of himself as he gave himself one last glance in the mirror before grabbing his large set of carnations at the dining room table in an expensive Greek vase.

He paused at the door, fishing in his spare jacket pockets for his car keys. He could never remember where they were whenever he wanted them, and it was beginning to drive him crazy. After a few awkward moments of fumbling and nearly dropping the expensive flowers, he heard a jingling sound just behind his right ear.

Darko spun around to face Nigel, shaking and holding the keys in his left hand, looking disheveled and exhausted. He didn’t have a shirt on, but he wore silky grey running shorts, and his muscular legs and calves seemed to naturally flex on their own in the sunlight before Darko.

Darko grimaced, leaning forward after carefully cradling the flowers to his chest, and with his free hand, he tried swiping the keys away from Nigel, but it caused the other man to withdraw them into the closed palm of his hand, and his eyes fell all over the flowers, and then over Darko’s “tidy” appearance.

“Going somewhere, Darko?” Nigel ground out heatedly, his eyes landing on Darko’s expensive black designer shoes.

Darko shrugged and lowered his eyes to the floor.

“I haven’t seen you dress like that even when we were working for Dominique, so what the fuck?” Nigel finished, reaching out with a long finger and jabbing the chest of the clean shirt.

“Don’t!” Darko stepped back against the door, growling angrily at Nigel, but it made the other man inch closer instead of back away, intimidated.

“I’m not some lousy beta, Darko, so you can fuck off with those cheap threatening tactics,” Nigel began, grabbing one of the flowers and bringing it close to his nose as he inhaled deeply, “you’re going out on a fucking date, don’t bother lying to me or denying it.”

Darko hung his head low, and shrugged again, “So what if I am?”

Nigel chuckled, scratching the back of his head.

“How’d you meet this one? I haven’t seen you talking to anyone in weeks.”

Darko rolled his eyes, “I met them online, asshole.”

Nigel shook his head, scoffing as he looked through Darko’s clean hair, and freshly shaven face.

“You fucking idiot. It could be a fucking setup!”

Darko sighed, reaching for the car keys, which Nigel deftly hid behind his back firmly.

“Oh yeah? A fucking setup by whom? Dominique?” Darko hissed, trying to hold the flowers as he leaned closer into Nigel, who took a few steps back, finally.

“Very fucking funny, Darko,” Nigel wouldn’t admit how amusing he found his friend’s struggling for the keys to be.

“…and you have the nerve to get mad at me for wanting your best interests. How ungrateful of you, as always.”

Darko grit his teeth and slammed his foot against the floor in exhaustion and frustration.

“Give me the fucking keys, Nigel!”

“Let me come with you!” Nigel shouted out, which caused Darko to cease fighting for the keys and his jaw dropped slightly as he finally met the eyes of his friend.

“What?”

Nigel nodded, “Let me come with you just so I have the peace of mind that it’s not some random perverted weirdo looking to stab you in the fucking heart and rob you blind.”

Darko sighed again and rested a hand over his forehead, rubbing slightly.

“It’s not like that; I met them on a dating site.”

Nigel frowned immediately, “Even worse, which adds up to why I should come with you.”

Darko slapped his hand against the front door angrily.

“I’m not fucking five years old, Nigel!”

Nigel nodded, smirking slightly, “Five may not be your physical age, Darko, but mentally, we cannot deny you are indeed that young.”

“Fuck you!” Darko hissed, facing the door, eager to leave the conversation and Nigel.

“And so fucking naïve.”

Darko roared, shoving Nigel back with his free hand.

“I’m tired of being alone, Nigel! I’m tired of empty fucking and emptiness all around me! So I went on that E-Mate.com, big fucking deal!”

Nigel sighed this time, folding his arms over his bare chest.

“That site is fucked, Darko,” he stood straighter, displaying his superiority and dominance over the other alpha, which usually infuriated Darko, but he ignored it for the time being, as he had bigger things to worry about.

“…it will fuck with your head and tell you that you can’t enjoy sex because you’re not in a committed relationship or some fucking stupid ass shit like that, when you and I both know that isn’t true!”

Darko shook his head, “Maybe it doesn’t feel true for you, Nigel, but it does for me.”

Nigel felt speechless. This wasn’t the old Darko who shot first, asked questions later, gathered plenty of women into his bed and tossed them out the next morning without a single thought or doubt! What had happened to his real friend?

Nigel placed a large warm hand over Darko’s forehead.

“Are you sure you’re not coming down with something or going through an early midlife fucking crisis? Because you sound insane, Darko.”

Darko shoved Nigel’s hand away from his forehead violently.

“Yes I’m fucking sure!”

Nigel dropped his hands to his sides and sighed, defeated.

“Alright, if this is what you want, at least let me stand by so you’re safe. I promise I won’t interfere, I won’t say a word, and I won’t get involved. I just want to make sure you’re not meeting some old cougar ready to scratch your eyes out.”

Darko paused, grimacing and wincing as his thoughts raced for many long minutes, but Nigel let him have his thoughts and silence, standing rock still.

Finally, Darko sighed, looking down at the expensive watch attached to his left wrist.

“Fine! But hurry the fuck up, I’m so fucking late already thanks to you!”

Without another word, Nigel slowly made his way back to his room to prepare.

(~~~””~~~)

“Will, this won’t go well with the pants I picked out!” Adam ran like a chicken, back and forth from his room to the living room, where Will sat patiently, ready to give his final judgement on his cousin’s choice of clothing for the date. It had taken well over an hour for Adam to shower and shave, and the dressing part was by far the most difficult feat.

Adam had tried over thirty pairs of jeans and pants, to finally settle on a black pair of wool trousers, which looked fancy, clean, but also casual. Now, he couldn’t decide on the white dress shirt or the white Oxford shirt with the slight blue tinge.

Will pointed to the Oxford shirt, picturing Adam in it, and smiling proudly.

“Trust me, Adam, that one with the blue is the best! It will bring out your eyes for sure.”

Adam paled at this, hiding behind the doorframe to his bedroom, and only poking his head out as he took off the white dress shirt and folded it neatly.

“But I don’t want to look at his eyes too much, Will! That would make me so uncomfortable!”

Will sighed and held up his hands, “Alright, forget I said anything.”

Hurried feet began pacing as Adam fit the shirt over his body, and looked at himself in his dressing mirror.

“But why would you suggest I look at his eyes? I just want to be normal and make a good impression like Dad told me! I know I can’t do that if I am not myself! I have to be myself, but will he like me for myself?”

Adam’s worried voice began rising in volume, and Will stood up immediately and rushed into his cousin’s bedroom, where he found Adam cradling his head in both hands as he stood before his mirror, shaking and quivering.

Will carefully placed his hands over his cousin’s shaking body, and held him closely.

“Shh, Adam, calm down; you don’t need to have a panic attack before your date.”

Adam shook his head, but calmed down considerably once he felt his cousin’s warm, comforting arms draped around him.

“Will, I can’t! I can’t do th-this!”

Will rested his chin on Adam’s head.

“You can.”

Adam stopped shaking altogether, but he closed his eyes and shook his head a few times.

“Adam, stop. Please, just open your eyes for a second.”

At the sound of Will’s calm, warm voice, Adam slowly opened his eyes, and he looked at his cousin, who was facing him as he withdrew his arms from his body.

Will gave him a reassuring smile, which Adam tried mirroring, but he failed halfway and looked down at his feet instead.

“Adam, listen: you are perfect the way you are. He will love and adore you like everyone else does, and that is the truth.”

Adam didn’t believe it, but he wanted to keep his cousin happy, so he smiled down at the floor, which made Will gently push a finger under his chin, and he turned his face up.

“Just keep smiling like that, and you will be fine.”

Adam and Will exchanged supportive, comforting smiles, all the way up to Will’s car, and out of the parking lot.

(~~~””~~~)

Adam hated being early. There were so many people walking around, talking, making noises, laughing, coughing, and it hurt his ears and made his head swim with worry and panic. He had been sitting for nearly ten full minutes at the only table-for-two he could locate outside the café.

Around him sat many couples and families, drinking and eating and enjoying the early afternoon warm sunshine and weather. Adam wished he could also be like them and enjoy what they did, but internally, he was an emotional mess.

He kept checking his time to see how late his date was going to be, when his phone buzzed. The noise scared him, and he had to hold his phone tightly in his fingers as he opened and read his new text message.

It was from his date, Darko!

**I’m here!**

Adam read the message over twice before looking up and skimming the top of the heads of everyone outside the café. He didn’t see anyone who resembled Darko’s picture online, which made him panic and worry.

What if he was being made fun of? What if Darko had used someone else’s photo?

Adam bit one of his fingernails, eyes running through the seated crowd, when they landed on the back of a man with clean, shortly-cut blonde hair.

The man wore a black shirt, and he was seated a few feet away from Adam at another table seated for two people. In the middle of the table sat a large bouquet of carnations, wrapped neatly in expensive gift-wrapping paper.

The man’s shoulders were broad, and he seemed very athletic and fit.

Could this have been his date?

Adam slowly stood from his seat, eyes never leaving the figure, and he slowly began walking as softly as he could over to the man. Immediately after he stood, someone else took his spot, but he didn’t care about it as he walked over to the man.

As if on instinct, the man turned around and looked straight at Adam.

Adam froze immediately on the spot.

The man had the most amazing, beautiful face and eyes he had ever seen. He was even more good-looking and handsome up close than he was in his profile picture online.

Adam couldn’t believe this man was here today to meet him! He felt his heart racing the longer he stared at the man, and thankfully, the man broke the awkward silence by smiling and standing up, reaching out a strong heavy hand to shake Adam’s.

“Adam! I’m Darko!” Large white teeth greeted him, and Adam stepped to the side, walking over to the other seat across from where Darko had been sitting.

“H-hi, it’s nice to meet you Darko…” Adam heard his voice break off at the end of his sentence, but he couldn’t help it; this man truly was breathtaking.

Darko quickly pulled the seat out for Adam, and gestured for him to sit down.

“Please, make yourself comfortable, and tell me what you take in your coffee.”

Adam could only smile, though he didn’t make eye-contact…yet.

(~~~””~~~)

Nigel was dreaming of fucking the slim red-headed beta woman in the magazine and book store he had been sitting in just across the café from where Darko was having his date. He had already fucked the woman six ways from Sunday in his mind, and was about to envision her on her knees for him, when another tall blonde woman walked past him, making eye contact and smiling flirtatiously.

If there was one thing Nigel loved about America, it was the women. He hadn’t had a chance with the men for the time being, but since they had landed in America, Nigel had sought out a number of women. He didn’t care about their ethnicity, their status as beta or alpha, so long as they weren’t omegas.

Omegas weren’t highly prized in society, unless you wanted to settle down for some good breeding and family-committed lifestyles. Nigel felt himself about to wretch as he pictured himself married to some old omega with ten kids running around their house.

His eyes flickered back up to the blonde woman, who was texting away on her phone, but she paused midway, her eyes finding his, and she bit her lower lip, which was luscious and plump, shining and glittering with lip gloss that no doubt was scented…

Nigel looked down at his watch, and smirked. He had time. He stood, making his way over to her confidently.

(~~~””~~~)

Everything about the date was going perfectly. Adam sipped his cappuccino, looking intently at Darko, as he explained his trips all over the world. Adam secretly envied this man, for he had been places he could never imagine or dream of going, and he had done things he could never find the courage to do.

“I still don’t really know what you for for a living though, Darko!” Adam smiled excitedly, pushing his cup to the center of the table.

Darko smiled back, grabbing the cup, and he pulled out of his pocket a black pen, opened the cap, and began drawing on the cup, eyes still on Adam.

“I’m between jobs, for the time being, though I have the same employer who started me out in the business.”

“Is it a family business?”

Darko’s smile grew. “You could say that.”

Adam moved closer towards the table, his seat drawing nearer.

“You’re a very interesting, wonderful guy, Darko! I can’t believe I almost didn’t want to meet you!”

Darko stopped in the middle of his drawing, an eyebrow raised in question.

Adam looked away, blushing. He wasn’t sure he much of the staring he could take, but he found he liked it and didn’t mind it as much as he would have if it had been someone else.

“Look, my cousin actually set up that account on the website for me, and I was about to take it down when you messaged me, that’s all.” He finished quickly, hoping he still wasn’t blushing or sweating.

Darko burst out in laughter, which caused Adam to frown, and he recoiled, looking down at his hands and feet beneath the table.

“You’re laughing…I knew you’d laugh at me…” His voice came out hurt, and soft, which caused Darko to stop right away, and he reached forward with a hand, but he didn’t touch or grab Adam; he rested his hand over the table. Adam looked at how large and strong his fingers were, and he blushed deeper, though he was still hurt and upset. He folded his hands in his lap and didn’t say anything, but he suddenly wished he was home away from being laughed at and mocked.

“Oh, Adam, I wasn’t laughing at you, I really wasn’t…”

Adam looked up; hearing the sincerity in his date’s tone of voice, and when he looked up, his eyes fell in line with Darko’s. Adam blushed deeper, which caused Darko to blush as well, but both men didn’t look away or want to look away. They held each other’s gaze for minutes, and they both smiled simultaneously at the other.

“So…”

The word was spoken at the same time from them both, which caused them both to laugh this time.

Adam hid his laugh behind a hand, while Darko looked down at the cup and resumed his drawings.

“I’m going to kill my cousin, even though I don’t remember laughing like this with someone in a long, long time!”

Darko looked up and winked at Adam, making the omega blush and squirm in his seat.

“If you ever need help with that, call me up, Adam; I’d be happy to help out.”

Adam laughed loudly, and then he covered his mouth, careful not to draw attention to their table.

“What’re you? A certified professional hitman or something?”

Darko had stopped drawing, but he held the pen tightly in his hand, his fingers not moving. He wore a serious, dangerous expression on his face, and his eyes grew dark and cold.

In a stern but soft tone, he spoke, “Yes, as a matter of fact, I am.”

They stared at each other in silence for minutes, before they both broke out in smiles and heavy, loud laughter.

“That’s definitely something to put on a resume!” Adam giggled, throwing his head back and enjoying everything about this day.

Darko’s chuckles continued, “For sure, I can definitely add it onto yours as well if you want, you know, give you some tips?”

Adam laughed until his sides ached.

Suddenly, Darko placed the cap back on his pen.

“Done!”

Adam looked at the cup, but Darko hid it with his hands.

“I want to see you again.”

Adam didn’t think he had heard him properly the first time, but when he looked up, he saw Darko already gazing seriously and intently at him, his eyes never leaving Adam’s flushed face.

Adam gasped slightly, not sure how to handle this request, and he squirmed more in his seat, though he didn’t feel uncomfortable…he felt…eager and anxious. He knew he wanted to see Darko again, but there was no way Darko felt the same about him! Did he?

“You don’t mean that.” Adam looked away from Darko’s eyes and brushed his clothes, trying to ignore Darko’s eyes on his face.

“I do. I want to see you more and more if you let me, Adam.”

Adam froze, and after many minutes, his eyes searched back for Darko’s, and when they met, he nearly sighed in happiness.

“I want to see you more as well, Darko…”

Darko grinned happily, and he flashed another pearly white smile at Adam.

“I had a wonderful time with you today, Adam. Let’s do this again, sometime, yeah?”

Adam nodded eagerly, and then looked at the cup Darko was holding.

Darko slid it across the table, and Adam reached out across the table. Darko very suddenly-but very gently-grabbed Adam’s hands in his own, and he wrapped Adam’s fingers in his own, their fingers resting intertwined together for a moment before the cup came between them.

“A gift, until our next meeting, Adam.” Darko’s warm, kind voice hit his ears, and Adam’s breath hitched in his throat. He desired this man, he longed for him, but he knew he had to take Will’s advice and take it slow.

He looked down at the cup as Darko handed the flowers over to him.

“I’ll call you, Adam.”

Adam was so pleased and overjoyed he could only smile as he peered down at the small portrait of himself Darko had drawn on the white paper cup.

(~~~””~~~)

Nigel had been rejected by the beta and the tall alpha woman twice in less than half an hour. He began growling under his breath as he stewed by a stack of books in the bookstore, ready to take his anger out on Darko, whenever he next saw the lazy bastard again. Nothing about his day had gone right. Nigel had been expecting to get laid, but surprisingly, his alpha charms didn’t seem to be working today at all. He had nearly been slapped by the beta, and the alpha had threatened to kick his ass as well, which shocked him to no avail. He could only hope and pray that Darko wouldn’t be getting laid before he did.

Sex had always been something of a competition to Nigel, and while he was happy for his friend to go out and meet someone new, he couldn’t help but feel beaten and defeated in his friend’s happiness. He knew he was being selfish, but he didn’t give a single fuck as he stomped around the sides of the shelves and looked out the windows, trying to locate his friend.

Suddenly, the door of the bookstore opened, and out of boredom, Nigel looked at the person who had walked in.

His blood immediately froze and ceased running once he saw him. In the doorway, stood the most beautiful, most gorgeous, and most sexy man Nigel had ever feasted his eyes upon.

His deep blue eyes, his long, thick dark eyelashes, and his thick dark brown hair were the first features Nigel noticed, and his scent sent him reeling once he inched closer to sniff at the air after him as he walked through the store.

He was an omega. A beautiful, alluring, gorgeous, radiant omega…

Nigel had never wanted an omega before, normally he didn’t even find them remotely attractive, but this omega with the bright pink thick, full lips and the pale, smooth skin…Nigel had to have him. He had to devour, eat, and savor this omega. He wanted to claim him for himself right then and there, no questions asked. As far as everyone in America was concerned, this man belonged to Nigel, and he was going to have him, now.

Nigel made his way over to the man as he reached up on a shelf and pulled out a book, flipping to the back and reading it over.

“You won’t like that one; there’s hardly any romance or sex in it.”

The omega turned and gazed blankly at Nigel once he spoke, but then he turned back to the book. Adam knew he was an alpha even before he could speak more. Everything about the man screamed alpha; he wore a brown jacket, black jeans, and a grey shirt poking out beneath the half-open zipper of the jacket, and everything about his musky scent repulsed Adam.

“I had expected as much, seeing as it is a non-fiction book about astronomy.”

The omega smelled like heaven. Nigel was close enough to take many long, deep breaths, and each one sent him swooning more than the previous one. The omega had a dull, bland voice, but something about it made Nigel fall harder for the omega, and he knew he wanted him to talk to him more.

“Is that a topic that pleases you then, gorgeous?” He asked, eyes skimming over the omega’s shapely features. He was fucking beyond perfect; his waist and hips were thin and narrow, which meant he would look so damn good naked, his arms and shoulders were long and filled out nicely, and he was almost as tall as Nigel, only a few inches shorter.

“My name’s not ‘gorgeous’, it’s Adam Raki, and yes, I have always been very fond of space and astronomy.”

That mouth was going to drive Nigel insane, but so was his attitude. Nigel loved it when they fought back, but to a certain degree. Some resistance was desirable in a mate, and Nigel loved the thrill of the chase, for when he obtained and won the chase, it felt even more pleasurable and delicious, knowing his efforts were worth it.

He stood back as Adam walked past him, holding the book in his hands.

“I didn’t mean to offend you, I apologize, Adam.”

Nigel followed him like he was a magnet drawn to him, and they walked all over the bookstore, Nigel inhaling his scent while Adam searched for more books.

“It’s a shame you’re here all by yourself, really. Someone as beautiful as you should always be accompanied.”

It was a compliment, but Adam took it as anything but one. He turned around once they were at a small shelf, and he scoffed and sneered at the alpha before him.

“Oh? So you believe all omegas are required to go out in public with some escort then?”

Nigel took a few steps back. Woah. He had been expecting some resistance, but this was cynical and vitriolic immediately. Everything he had said, Adam had taken in the wrong way, and he began panicking, for the first time in a long time.

“I didn’t mean it like tha-”

“So typical of an alpha. I hate to break it to you, but your games and methods are all getting tedious and old, you know.” Adam interrupted, and turned to study some of the books, picking two more out while Nigel fumbled behind him.

“What do you mean?”

Adam held the books to his chest and rolled his large eyes.

“Coming in here playing the single-bachelor game all while you’re searching. I have seen this old routine many times before. Take for instance, the mysterious section over there.” Adam nodded over to a burly, voluptuous Spanish woman by the ‘Mystery’ section of the bookstore, and she looked up at Nigel and smiled bashfully before looking away.

“What about her?” Nigel asked.

“Her mating game is on, though she tries to hide it in her mysterious nature, as well as behind the books, just like you; pretending to read when you’re reading everyone except the books.”

Nigel’s jaw dropped, and he choked out a laugh, “Wow, I-”

Adam walked towards the front of the bookstore.

“Or take for instance the homey, overweight omega woman over there. Just from a single scent, you knew she was past her prime, looking to settle, and she no doubt thinks about babies and raising a family all day long, and before your second date, she will already have your wedding location, honeymoon, and house all picked out in her mind.”

Nigel scratched the back of his head. He needed to know so much more about this intelligent omega who was constantly putting him down, but also oh-so-very-right about him. This was so refreshing; to have someone say it like it was, as opposed to simply agreeing with him to please him. He needed to know more, and he needed it all now.

“You’re very astute, you know.”

The omega smiled, but it was a very sarcastic smile, and he didn’t meet Nigel’s eyes.

“And you’re not very good at hiding, though you like to go around as though you are.”

Nigel raised an eyebrow. “What does that tell you about me?”

Adam snorted, “That you’re incredibly alone, empty, and desperate.”

Nigel’s jaw dropped once again, and he was unable to utter a word. He kept staring at the omega, unable to locate his thoughts and words, and he wheezed out a small sigh.

“Good luck.”

With that final statement, Adam turned around, and headed towards the cashier.

Nigel watched him purchase his books, and he never stopped his gaze from following the omega right out the door, down the street, but not out of his mind. No one had ever spoken to him like that, but he didn't mind at all, as long as it was only Adam speaking to him like that. Adam could insult Nigel for days and days, and it wouldn't stop Nigel from wanting to grab him and fuck him silly over a desk; he wanted and desired him just the same. 

Nigel left the bookstore knowing he was on a hot pursuit of the strange Adam Raki, and he wouldn’t stop until he not only learned everything there was to learn and know about him, but until he was in his arms, his bed, and all over him, drenched in his scent and sweetness.


End file.
